Low-water alarm.



A. G. HENKE, J11. LOW WATER ALARM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT; 14, 1911.

1,031,262, Patented July 2,1912.

EE E vwemtoz COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00.. WASHINGTON. D. cv

ALBERT G. HENKE, JR., 015 DE SIVIET, SOUTH DAKOTA.

LOW-WATER ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Application filed September 14, 1911. Serial No. 649,281.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT G. HnNnn, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at De Smet, in the county of Kingsbury, State of South Dakota, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Lowater Alarms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electrical low water alarms.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel electrical terminals which will cooperate with the gland of the water tube in securing the tube in position, these terminals having their extreme free ends formed with bent portions which extend radially to the inner wall of the tube and present broad fiat contact surfaces for engagement with a metallic float in the tube.

With the above object in view the invention consists of the certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification :Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a water gage embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the terminals.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts, the water gage elbow 10 is equipped at one end with the usual nipple 11 which is connected to the boiler. The elbow is uniformly exteriorly reduced at its opposite end and equipped with screw threads 12 for engagement with the internal thread of a gland 13, the bore of the gland receiving the water tube 14:- Interposed between the gland and confronting shoulder 15 formed at the juncture of the reduced portion with the body portion of the elbow, are two rubber or similar gaskets 16 which effect a water-tight jointbut yield sutficiently to receive the terminals which will be presently described.

Formed in the elbow 10 are slots 17 which are disposed at diametrically opposite points in the reduced end of the elbow and extend to the shoulder 15 of the elbow. These slots receive the electric conductor terminals 18. Each terminal is formed from a single length of material bent into the form of an L, and one leg of the terminal is interposed between the gaskets 16 and extends through the slot in the elbow, thence engaging with the lowest edge of the tube 1st and supporting the tube against gravitating in the elbow. The other leg of the terminal extends upwardly within the tube and bears upon the inner wall thereof being terminally bent in the form of a hook 19, the bill of which extends radially to the inner wall of the tube as shown at 20 and forms an elongated flat bearing surface for 'the reception of a metallic disk float 21 carried within the tube and which upon the water falling to a predetermined point within the tube, contacts with and forms an electrical connection between both terminals.

The lower leg of each terminal extends outwardly beyond the elbow and terminates in a socket 252 into one side of which a set screw 23 is threaded. The electrical conductor wires 2-1 from a bell 25 or similar electric alarm are inserted in the sockets and secured therein by the set screws, an electrical battery 26 or other source of electrical energy being connected in series to one of the conductor wires as shown. When the level of the water in the boiler falls below or approaches the limit of safety, the float 21 descends as above described and forms an electrical connection between the terminals 18, thus completing the electric circuit and causing the bell to ring, and in this manner showing that the water is low in the boiler. v

It will be noted that by virtue of the L- shaped terminals supporting the water tube, and by virtue of these terminals being carried within slots in the elbow, any number of gaskets may be inserted below the terminals to elevate the tube within the elbow so that tubes of various lengths may be supported by the elbow.

What is claimed, is

1. In an alarm device, a tubular receptacle, an inlet pipe snugly receiving said receptacle, substantially L-shaped electric conductor terminals carried by and insulated from said pipe, each terminal having one leg contacting with the lower edge of and supporting said receptacle, and having the other leg extending upwardly along the inner wall of said receptacle and being terminally bent to extend radially relatively to the inner wall of said receptacle, a metallic float in said receptacle adapted to engage with said radially extending port-ions, and a gland on said inlet pipe receiving said receptacle.

2. In an alarm device, a tubular receptacle, an inlet pipe having a uniformly reduced threaded end with a resultant exterior shoulder, said end snugly receiving said receptacle, and having openings below the lowest edge of said receptacle, a gland threading on said pipe and receiving said receptacle, gaskets between said gland and said shoulder, substantially L-shaped electric conductor terminals each having a leg engaged between said gaskets and projecting through said openings, and further contacting with the lowest edge of said receptacle, the other leg of each terminal extending upwardly along the inner wall of said receptacle, and a metallic float in said receptacle adapted to engage with said terininals.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT G. HENKE, JR. Witnesses:

J. H. HALL, D. A. CRAWFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

